


Hinderance

by SuperLeon



Category: Tekken
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Jin can't catch a break
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 05:31:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13652424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperLeon/pseuds/SuperLeon
Summary: Jin would learn to never be kind again.





	Hinderance

**Author's Note:**

> Probably started this last year, but the dates on some of the things I've written have been screwed up because I migrated everything to a new machine. Anyway, I _definitely_ started this _before_ playing Yakuza Kiwami and I _definitely_ did not write this subconsciously thinking about Kiryu and Majima. . .

One would assume that, after a solid year and a half of running a multi-million dollar business, the head of that business would mature into their position. The stressful meetings and intricate details of deals, not to mention many of them taking place in different countries and time zones, meaning emails and video conferences somewhere around 2 and 3 AM, had to be a wake up call that it was time to start taking responsibility instead of fooling around like a common street thug.

For Hwoarang, however, that wasn't true. 

About every week since the redhead had won the tournament and gained control of G Corp., he'd made it his mission to disrupt Jin's schedule to challenge him to a fight, the sort of thing no logical person, CEO or not, would dedicate themselves to. It was a mild threat at first. Jin had taken the helm at the Mishima Zaibatsu, and had just begun getting comfortable with the power he was given so suddenly. It was a little while after Jin was getting adjusted that he'd received a memo of sorts from Hwoarang, who'd won the previous tournament and was settling in himself as the owner of what was formerly known as G Corporation. It was dizzying enough that Kazuya kept his word to give the corp away to the tournament's winner, and kept Jin on his toes for what his father may have been planning next, but the last thing he expected to get in his way was the redhead.

Jin was swamped with work, deals to be made, shipments to be sent and monitored, so he expected Hwoarang to be just the same. He was wrong, intimately wrong, and this wouldn't be the last time he was wrong about the redhead.

He'd sent Jin a memo, done-up like professional paperwork and worded so that Jin figured it was dictated then edited by someone else. It was an unsurprising message; that Hwoarang would still consider Jin his rival, still planned on defeating him one day. But, after that, he'd promised that business wasn't going to get in the way of him doing just that. Jin could read between the lines and convince himself that maybe Hwoarang wasn't being literal, maybe he was going to rival him in the growth of the corporation, but logically, he knew better.

"You done already, Kazama?"

It had become routine now. Jin always had some time planned in his day to take off about an hour, had an employee to stand in for him if necessary. His guards were still told to keep the premises safe, but Jin didn't want any of them getting into it with Hwoarang. The redhead may have been sensible enough to hold back when his opponents weren't much of a match for him, but he was still unpredictable once he got fired up for a fight.

Jin took a deep breath, not dropping his stance. They were at a point now in this song and dance that they'd become distinctly aware of the limitations of Jin's top-floor office. The first fight had been such a headache to clean up afterwards-- important papers strewn about, some nearly destroyed, books spilled from the shelf, and the desk nearly broken in half from a poorly-dodged kick-- that Jin had security upped to keep Hwoarang from getting anywhere near him while he was in his office. And that worked for the situation it needed to, Hwoarang couldn't get to Jin without being escorted off of the premises, but it didn't stop him from ambushes around town after Jin was already worn down from working.

"I stopped for your sake. I know you can't hold out."

"Haah?"

A benefit from this weekly routine was that Jin could read Hwoarang like a book. Unlike him, Hwoarang had already dropped his stance, a sheen of sweat on his skin, his hair coming loose from the tie it had been in when he arrived. Hwoarang shifted on his feet, dazed.

"You think I can't keep goin'?"

"I know your stamina. Running all the way up here and dodging my security already tired you out. You aren't in top shape right now, are you? Is that really how you want to fight me?"

Hwoarang huffed, Jin could tell it was part indignation and part exhaustion.

"Don't care." He started the distance between he and Jin. "I'll take you on however I--!"

Jin had prepared himself for the oncoming strike, but Hwoarang stopped at the beeping coming from his pocket. His fist lowering, he looked around.

"Dammit, I thought I turned off--...goddammit."

After rifling through his pockets the redhead revealed the source of the noise, to Jin's surprise; a beeper. After watching the other struggle with it, however, the brunette understood. It was the only way to keep in contact with Hwoarang as it was the only thing that could reliably get his attention. If he couldn't turn it off, he'd be pressed to answer it.

Jin finally relaxed as he watched Hwoarang locate his phone, waiting impatiently for it to turn on before tapping in a number. As it rang, he looked back up at his rival.

"We aren't done--Yeah, Akira? What is it?"

With a sigh, the brunet turned back to his desk, picking up his coat from where he'd tossed it earlier.

"Yeah...China? Why would--...No, I'll come in, I'm headed back now."

He hung up with a frustrated noise, then shoved the pager and cell phone in separate pockets. He all but tossed his jacket back over his shoulders.

"This isn't over, Kazama."

"It never is."

...

Another oddity that followed him into this hectic world of business was the feeling of constantly being watched. He'd initially thought it was just imagined, a result of the time he'd spent paranoid, watching his back for any of Heihachi's or his father's goons meaning him harm. But, as time passed, he realized that it wasn't just a figment of his imagination. He had a stalker, and she was getting closer and less careful the longer he let it go on. Eventually, seeking some semblance of peace, he reached out to her, calling her in for a meeting that he pointlessly hoped wouldn't be misconstrued.

But if you gave Xiaoyu an inch, she would be obligated to take a mile.

"Jin! I don't want you to ignore me now just because you're the head of a company!"

"I'm not ignoring you, Xiao. I have a lot of work to do, I just don't have time for--"

"That's why I want to help you!"

Xiaoyu's enthusiasm was always _almost_ endearing. It made Jin feel as though, while the real world spun around her, Xiaoyu lived in a cartoon. Xiao was the main character, and Jin was the love interest she would chase to her last breath.

"Help me?" 

Jin leaned back in his chair, not sure if he wanted to humor the young woman now standing over his desk, both hands splayed flat on the surface. She looked determined, but these days, she always looked determined. 

"Yes! I can help you-- like with work and business! I can be your second-in-command, and when work gets too tough you can always come to me and let me handle things!" 

"You're underestimating the complexity of business, Xiao." 

The brunette shook her head, bringing her hands up and forming them into fists. 

"That's fine! I can learn as I go, as long as I get to help you." 

Jin wanted to believe she was genuine, and he felt that Xiao wanted to believe that herself, but it was hard to bury your real feelings. It was hard for _Xiao_ to bury her real feelings, at least. She still looked dreamily at Jin, likely imagining herself as less of a business partner and more of a romantic interest. Just as it would play out in a cartoon, romance would bloom between them, Jin would warm up to her and see her worth as more than just a business partner. The glistening of her eyes and the pink rising to her cheeks as she so much as looked at Jin spoke loudly enough. 

He'd found a way to say "no" without quite saying it that day, but he'd also found a way to doom himself to constantly being watched from afar. Xiao was too determined to be shooed off by a single meeting. 

Xiao and Hwoarang were punishments, a permanent shackle to his decision to be kind or at least somewhat considerate of the names and faces that he'd initially meant to only interact with once before continuing his solitude. They were the result of thin attempts to retain some semblance of humanity in this world that was ruled by devils. Jin was thankful for the experience when it didn't hinder him, but now he had to make sure he was never humane to another living soul again. 

**Author's Note:**

> spoilers but Kazuya shot a got damn satellite out of space and I'm still not over that


End file.
